Re: [Paddlewise] swim for it?

  There are two main functions of a PFD. One is to sit
on during lunch. The other is to make it much easier
for Search and Rescue to find your body. That's why
a brightly colored PFD is preferred. Another important
use is so that you don't get a fine when the sheriff finds
out you don't have one. OK, so I can't count.

Bradford R. Crain

PeterO said:

> G'Day,
>
> A lot of food for thought there. I was struck by two sentences. One was 
> the sheer commonsense of: -
>
> "In the wilderness, where I have seen nobody over the last five days, 
> what's the point of waiting for a rescuer?"
> The other was: -
>
> "DuCharme's team looked at 35 people who were dunked into water with 
> temperatures of 10, 14 and 23 degrees Celsius. They found that in all 
> temperature ranges, people wearing a life jacket could swim between 800 
> and 1,000 metres, or about 45 minutes, before their arms and legs stopped 
> working from the cold."
>
> Would your arms really stop working from the cold after swimming 45 
> minutes in 23 degree C water?
>
> Another thought was how much more difficult it seems to be to make 
> progress swimming when wearing a life jacket. If I was in isolated and 
> cold waters and had to swim a kilometer would it be better to abandon the 
> lifejacket. Somehow that doesn't feel right? One would be swimming faster 
> but without the benefit of buoyancy and any insulation the PFD provided. I 
> guess it depends on one's physique and swimming ability.
>
> Is there a preferred stroke for best speed swimming while wearing a PFD?
>
> If I was strong enough to swim a kilometre I'd take the easy option and 
> roll up or paddlefloat rescue. Perhaps this advice is fundamentally 
> irrelevant to kayakers with good self rescue skills.
>
> All the best, PeterO
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